While some reviewers are more in line with how I felt about this movie, others see it differently. This is certainly allowed, but let me just say why I think this film is one of the worst ever to be made.
First, the wooden, two-dimensional acting a) is lacking energy b) does not provide an anchor for identification (who talks like that?) c) is just not funny. This flaw is the smallest of the movie, and could be forgiven taking into account other bad movies.
Second, the usage of clichés in movies is not a bad thing by itself. Clichés are easy to understand and can give a point of reference from which to build the more intricate aspects of the story. But what the writer and director did here is insulting. It seems ever character has exactly one attribute that defines him or her. The clever protagonist. The beautiful spy. The sinister looking FBI agent. The double-dealing bastard. Most of the "clever lines" you can guess a minute before they are said. There was no surprise in the whole film, except when the true source of the messages was "revealed", which was so dumb and unoriginal I admit I didn't think they would get so low.
Third, the assumptions that the movie is based on may actually be somewhat acceptable in a movie where at least a little bit of effort is made to present them to the viewer with some credibility. SciFi has to assume stuff that is not possible by todays standards, but it also has to give you some, any reason to make you believe it could actually be possible. Here, the writer just skipped that part and went right into the part of the story where you are already convinced, which you certainly aren't if your brain has any activity left at all. Which makes the movie just unbearable as it goes along.
Fourth, the main thing the plot can offer you is its endless holes and missing logic. Why things happen no one knows. Why people change sides, well they just do.
I can appreciate a movie that is just there for entertainment, and must not be taken too seriously. But everything has a limit. The makers of this movie only pretend to have done the necessary work for their (old) ideas to work. I can think of no reason why any actor with a good reputation would take part in this, but they probably didn't know how bad the end result would turn out to be.
Stay away at all costs, unless you are capable and willing to shutting down your neocortex completely. It certainly was not worth the time to write this review, unless there's somebody out there whom I spared this experience.
First, the wooden, two-dimensional acting a) is lacking energy b) does not provide an anchor for identification (who talks like that?) c) is just not funny. This flaw is the smallest of the movie, and could be forgiven taking into account other bad movies.
Second, the usage of clichés in movies is not a bad thing by itself. Clichés are easy to understand and can give a point of reference from which to build the more intricate aspects of the story. But what the writer and director did here is insulting. It seems ever character has exactly one attribute that defines him or her. The clever protagonist. The beautiful spy. The sinister looking FBI agent. The double-dealing bastard. Most of the "clever lines" you can guess a minute before they are said. There was no surprise in the whole film, except when the true source of the messages was "revealed", which was so dumb and unoriginal I admit I didn't think they would get so low.
Third, the assumptions that the movie is based on may actually be somewhat acceptable in a movie where at least a little bit of effort is made to present them to the viewer with some credibility. SciFi has to assume stuff that is not possible by todays standards, but it also has to give you some, any reason to make you believe it could actually be possible. Here, the writer just skipped that part and went right into the part of the story where you are already convinced, which you certainly aren't if your brain has any activity left at all. Which makes the movie just unbearable as it goes along.
Fourth, the main thing the plot can offer you is its endless holes and missing logic. Why things happen no one knows. Why people change sides, well they just do.
I can appreciate a movie that is just there for entertainment, and must not be taken too seriously. But everything has a limit. The makers of this movie only pretend to have done the necessary work for their (old) ideas to work. I can think of no reason why any actor with a good reputation would take part in this, but they probably didn't know how bad the end result would turn out to be.
Stay away at all costs, unless you are capable and willing to shutting down your neocortex completely. It certainly was not worth the time to write this review, unless there's somebody out there whom I spared this experience.